Aerial croquet.



H. n, THAYER. AERIAL CFKOQUFT.A APPLICATION lFILED APR. 1| 19H5.

Patented De.. 12,1916.

H. D. THAYEH.

AERIAL CHOQUET.

APPLICATION F1LED APR.1. 1916.

Patented Deo. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HElVIAN DALE THAYER, OF CONNEAUT, OHIO.

AERIAL CROQUET.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, i916..

Application filed April 1, 1916. Serial No. 88,357.

T 0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, .Hanan D. THAYER, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Conneaut, in the county of Ashtabula and State of Cliio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Aerial Croquet, of which the following is a specification.

rllhis invention relates to improvements in games of the class wherein stationary receptacles are employed to receive balls thrown or batted therein from a distance, and has for one of its objects to produce a simply constructed device which may be arranged in a variety of ways and including aplurality of baskets or receptacles, a plurality of balls, and a corresponding number of paddles, bats or like implements. Any required number of the baskets or receptacles may be employed and arranged in any desired order. Any required number of persons may play the game and each person will be supplied with one or more balls and a paddle or bat with which to manipulate the balls.

ln the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of the improved receptacles or baskets illustrating one construction; Fig. 2 is a front elevation, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the form of the basket shown in Fig. 1; F ig. 4 is a perspective view of the frame of the basket in collapsed or folded position; Fig. 5 is a perspective view, on a reduced scale, of one of the paddles or bats by which the balls are thrown; Fig. 6 represents a plan view of a plurality of baskets or receptacles arranged in the preferred order; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modified form of Athe basket frame; Fig. 8 is a plan view of another modified form of the basket frame; Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the modified structure shown in Fig. S; Fig. 10 is a plan View of the form of basket frame employed when the game is played indoors; Fig. 11 is a :'ront elevation of the modified structure shown in Fig. 10,. y

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following` description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The receptacles or baskets are substantially alike in construction except that one of the baskets is preferably smaller in diameter than the others, as shown in Fig. 6. 1n the form of basket shown in Figs. 1 to 4, a

wire frame is employed formed in two parts 10--11, preferably semi-circular, as shown in `l=`ig. rEhe portion 10 is provided with an eye or loop 12 at one end and a depression 13 next to the loop. it its opposite end the section 10 is bent into a loop or eye 14: near one end and the remainder of the member 1() carried downwardly and terminating in a lateral catch 15. rlChe portion 11 of the .frame is formed into an eye 16 at one end and with depressions 17 near the eye. Near its opposite end the member 11 is bent into a loo-p 1S and the portion beyond the loop extended downwardly and terminating in a laterally directed catch 19. lThe loop or eye 12 and the depression 13 of the member 10 correspond to the loop 16 and the depression 17 of the member 11, while the loop or eye and the catch 15 of the member 10 correspond to the loop or eye 18 and the catch 19 of the member 11. rllhe eye 12 is engaged with the loop 18, while the eye 16 is engaged with the loop 14. By this means the two members 10-11 are hingedly united and may be folded into substantially parallel relation, as shown in Fig, 5, when not in use.

Coiled at one end at 20 around the depressed portion 13 of the member 10 is a leg member 21, while a similar leg member 22 is coiled at 23 at one end around the depressed portion 17 of the member 11. rlhe leg members are adapted to swing into substantially parallel relation transversely of the fra-me when not in use to reduce the space occupied by the device for transportation or storage. W'hen disposed at right angles to the members 10-11 the leg members 21-22 engage respectively with the catches 15-19, and thus retain the leg members at right angles to the distended members 10-11 and likewise maintain the mem bers in their open position. The free ends of the members 21-22 are preferably pointed to enable them to be inserted into the ground and thus maintain the members 10-11 spaced above the ground. The members 1() 11 when distended are preferably circular in outline and are utilized to support a flexible or fabric receptacle, preferably of suitable netting material, as illustrated at 24:. Each of the frames, together with the netting, thus forms a basket-like structure to receive the balls thrown or batted by the paddles or batsf as hereafter explained.

The paddle or bat device may be of any suitable form or size and of any suitable material and when used to throw or pitch the ball into the basket, comprises a stock or handle portion 25 and a laterally widened lower portion 26, as shown in Fig. 5, the latter having a depression or hollow portion 27 to receive the ball and to hold the latter while the implement is being used.

lThe fra-me for the basket or netting material may be varied to any required extent within the scope of the appended claims, and various modifications may be employed: For instance, hook-like catches 29 to hold the legs when folded may be substituted for the hooks 15-19, as shown in Fig. 7, or the rim portion of the device may be in one endless ring, as shown at 26 in Figs. 8 and 9, and the legs 21e-.22 detachably coupled to the ring, as shown at 27 in the same iigures. I the game is to be played indoors the legs ,2L-22 will be supported in a block 28 which rests upon the floor, as illustrated in Figs. l() and Il.

A plurality of the receptacles or baskets will be employed with one of the baskets preferably smaller in diameter than the others to be utilized as a home or starting basket. rlhe numerous baskets may be arranged in any desired order, for instance as shown in Fig. 6, with three of the baskets arranged in alinement with the smaller or home7 basket and four other baskets arranged opposite the space between the line of larger baskets. When thus arranged the game may be played by the first player starting from the home basket by using the paddle or stick to throw or bat the ball into the home basket Vand thence depositing the ball successively, as indicated by the arrows, in the remaining larger baskets.

rl`he balls will preferably be about the size of ordinary base balls, but of less weight Copies of this patent may be obtained for and are also preferably dead balls to prevent them from bounding. If a player fails to deposit the ball in the basket, he loses his play, or the ball must be picked from the ground or iioor and again played from that point.

Suitable rules governing the game may be established but are not necessarily a part of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is l. In a game, a frame adapted to support a ilexible pocket device and formed of semicircular rod sections hingedly united, and a support coupled to swing at right angles to one of said frame sections near one end, and a support coupled to swing at right angles to the other frame section near the other end.

2. In a game, a frame adapted to support a flexible pocket device and formed of semicircular rod sections hingedly united, a support coupled to swing at right angles to each of said frame sections, and a catch carried by each of said frame sections and adapted to engage said supports when the frame sections are folded and hold them in close relation to the folded trame sections.

3. In a game device, a frame formed of coacting sections each having a terminal connecting eye whereby the sections are hingedly united with the material of the frame extended in advance oi the eye of each section and ending in a. catch device, a support, coiled at one end around each section and swinging thereon and engaged respectively by the catches to hold the supports distended, and a bag device supported by the i'rame and adapted te receive a ball when thrown therein.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signaure. HEMAN DALE THAYER. [1.. s] Y five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

